The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-12-18

work, was Rhods Broughton's "ooodby, Sweetheart"
In making q play with scissors, paste. and somebody
olso's novel, ard announcing IL a. hor own brain work.
she did n thing which would ruin the good reputation
Of an authors; and yet Il h true that sho only followed
what has become common usage among dramatistA-
Harry Lee had similarly and recently commit
ted the same offence at = Madison Square au.
thors' matinee, and n score Of instances could
DO cited without going back q year In the
history OF tho New York stage. The appropriation OF n
novel or the translation of q foreign play seems to raise
a claim OF authorship for tho mere manipuiator OF the
materials. Tho brazeu impudence OF tho impostors has
grown steadily under careless or complainant suffer.
kncc. but tux Sun has rarely failed to discover and eS.
pose the frauds, and Miss Clayton viii And In onlcs of
TnE suS tho names OF numerous claimants Of plays
coupled with those Of the real authors Originality in
dramatic work 10 not only honest, but valuable. The
sources of the purloined matter are sure to he discov-
cred In case n successful use Is made OF II, and then 1t
cannot be protected from duplication. Observe how
honesty oil authorship enhances the business value OF
the current successes Mt the Lyceum, Days and the
Union Square, for nobody can safely pirate The Wife,
"Tbo Railroad OF Love" or Tho Henrietta"
"Ths Wife +" win get It's nftioth consecutive and nrst
souvenir performance at the Lyceum tomorrow night,
aresult creditably due to the perspicacity Of Manager
Daniel Frohman. who treated the play horoically at the
outset when 1t WAS weak. and made 1t coherent and
compact 1t may run hfty moro nights even before
Frohman puts q French successor on tho Lyceum
boards in -Featherbrain.' Tho hftieth night souvenirs
are to be composite portraits Of the performers. Tho
eight actors and seven actresses were separately photo
eraphsd, full face, and with the distance from Dyes to
chin similar. These portraits were then oil photo
Rrnphcd in rotation by MI. falk upon one mega
tive, tho time OF exposure In each ouss being
one.hftoenth OF the total time required to give the
plato Its requisite exposure. Tho result IL q single, well.
defined face, t~ypifying the facial characteristics Of tho
entire organization. The resultant combined face Is dis
tinciiy feminine. curiously, and looks like n woman
about 30 years old with regular features. although there
Is q faint trace Of q moustache. The photographer also
grouped the men aud the women on separate plates.
Tie maio picture Is good looking. and 1t shows the
breadth of lie Noynes face, the intensity Of wheatcroft's
eyes, and the dainty twirl Of Mi'ers mous'acho. The
composite female face, including the Misses Cayvan,
Henderson, and Dillon. is pretty one and a Jolly, thanks
to Mrs. whinen. who ia represented by a smile.
Days has "The Railroad of Love" yet with q full
house every night.
"The Henrietta " is surprising expectations at the
Union Square. A week ago j. Jay Brady, who keeps u
watchful eve on the box ofice-ss a weather observer
would on the say-was telling that 1t
| wouldn't DO surprising II tho business fell of as the holt
days came on But he was fearful without cause. Last
weeks audiences were big. Fashion dominated, and the
the comedy was more heartily laughed at than on its
| opening night. Only at Days the Lyceum, and tho
Madison Square are similarly handsome bodies to be
seen nowadays. Joseph Brooks says he isn't idling. for
all the comedy Is In the routine of q settled success.
Plans a year ahead engage his leisure. Robson and
Crane go to Philadelphia, Boston. Baltimore. and Chi.
cago after their Union Square stay dividing eleven
weeks between those cities Boston and Chi
cago getting a month each Philadelphia wanted four,
but would have to take two under the circumstances,
for Robson and Crane will not play after June l on any
terms. Crane will 20 yachting. lie longs for a snif Of
the particular brine that washes the Hull Yacht Club
pier, and Robson would probably be glad to eat a scitu.
ate Beach clam on short notice. The best OF It Is that
"The Henrietta will keen being properly cornered. 1t
is only n question OF how many seasons 1t will last
before its golden edge wears OF. Managers and players
who are friendly to it give 1t four and Eve years. "A for
"A Possible Case, which follows 1t in the springtiuo at
the Union Square, Manager Hill says he likes the coin
edy better every time he reads it-and he has read 1t
| more than once. All that ergrosses him now is the dis
tribution Of tho characters, ana that important task
| will probably be carefully fulfilled. Hints arc heard of
negotiations with Nat Goodwin and others
Good society had q ballet dancer on tho stage last
week. and in "The Arabian Nights." a %burlesque. She
was Bonfanti. and this was her emsrgeuco from retire
ment. In one Of the discussions of the sorosis Club. in
! cidental to some topic set for debate, one Of the women
members made an indiscreet reference to q danseuse ~
q person outside the pale Of respectability. After a
slight pruse n digniied and handsome matron, one of
the earliest members of SorOss arose aud began to
speak. It WAS Mrs Sophia Hoffman, Of welLknown
family. She told In simple, direct language a pathetic
story Of the pure, true. and nobis life OF her dead sons
widow, Bonfanti. This famous leader Of the ballet the
daughterin.iaw of Mrs. Hoffman, has been a respected
member of the circle in which she moved, and her son,
Sophia noiiman's grandchild. Is being educated and
reared in the most approved style. Mrs. Hoffman made
no extravss CANT euloyy In tho course OF her remarks,
and did not in the slightest. desrce show any resent ment
at tho offensive utterances OF her associate member.
When she had finished her simple defence of the woman
and dancer there was not . dry eye Ill the room The
discussion Of the question before the meeting was then
resumed without ceremony, and nothing further was
said as TO the ballet dancer or tho unique interruption.
"Pete" enjoys large favors steadily at Harrigan's and
there ID no reason why 1t shouldn't Harrican has got 1t
In sycelIent shana Besites he has now tho m asfAry Of
tho negro dialect, and makes PETE a close study from ma
ture. Dan ColIyer has made his stage fortune AZ VIet
Every theatre In the city has . standing Room Only"
signboard somewhere in It's box Office. Dust accumu.
lates on more than one Of them in the course OF an or.
binary season. Few ever get worn ont RosenQusst, of
the Fourteenth Street, has ono that needs renovation
and he is proud of it. Denman Thompson and Tho Old
Homestead" did 1t, and probably Thompson will do 1t
again the next time no comes TO New York. His present
engagement ends on Saturday. To. morrow week lie
Voyage en- Suisse will be acted for the first time in this
city since 1854. Edward Hanlon alone Of the original
Raulon Brothers is in the cast, but there are three req.
resentatives Of the second generation of Hsnlons in
Alice, Frances. and Albert Hanlon. Richard Jones who
was In the first iIanlon troupe. Is a member OF the cast
and Emily Kenn. also = familiar actress in this piece, is
retained. They play two weeks, and the hcHish Min
ptrels follow.
The Christmas celebration happening on Monday, all
the theatres will give extra matinees, except that Booth
and Barrett will make an exception at tho Academy.
Road managers agree that tho Western routes make
the poorest returns to travelling companies this season.
Many changes Of itinerary have resulted from this
fact, and the outcome 10 that the Middle and New Eng
land States are having II plethora OF amusements. Rail.
road transportation is less hereabouts, and 1t Is. above
oil. a nne thing to be within thinking distance of Now
York. Thespis Is occasionally Lowell headed when rail.
road ties are TO DO considered.
There il n welcome ready for Richard Mansfield, no
doubt, on his return to the Fifth Avenue to morrow
night. Improvement IN the direction Of self, repression
has increased public opinion Of him, and he has done
some excellent and intellectual work. He will revive,
nrst, Monsieur hi. own comedy, with its pretty story
OF love triumphant over money. Next week he will re.
produce 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" and his engage
ment will terminate with the week Of Jan. Ola given
up to his Baron Cheprtdi In "A Partisan Romance" His
company includes Bessie Cameron. John I. Sullivan. D.
Ii. Hsrkins, John Parry and others seen At the Madison
Square last summer.
Jacobs's Third Avenue has for the week its second
Offering OF variety this season in the Halien & Hart
troupe. Most of its members are recognized leaders in